Crimson Conflict
by Cathartic Trance
Summary: They gazed into each others' eyes. Crimson to Crimson. And just for a moment they remembered who they used to be. Before the experiments. Before they were demons. AU. Rated for language and gore.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"NO!" a woman cried while straining against the bonds that held her down. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks and sweat perspired on her brow from struggling and delivering her newborn child.

"Don't take the baby!"

A short man in a white lab coat and thick glasses on the bridge of his nose chuckled menacingly. He cradled a tiny infant in his arms while leering at the flustered woman bound on the metal table.

"But Lucrecia, he'd make the perfect subject." he said mockingly.

"No... you can't use him for one of your hideous experiments!" the woman, otherwise known as Lucrecia, screamed. She couldn't let her baby taken by this monster.

He ignored her though. "Yes, yes... a very fine subject, indeed..." he muttered while gazing at the baby, eyes shining malevolently.

"He's MINE!" she screeched while straining all of her body against the tight bonds. She pulled herself up as far as she could with her wrists and ankles clamped down so tightly and then collapsed back onto the cold metal surface, breathing heavily.

"Oh, but you forgot that he's mine, too." was all that the scientist said.

Lucrecia could taste the bile rising in her throat, but she didn't vomit just yet. She didn't want to remember that night in the science lab. No... It was too horrible.

The man must have noticed her disgusted expression because he began to laugh maniacally. He walked to her side and lowered her head so that it was disturbingly close to her own. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head so that she faced away from him. His hot breath and long black hair tickled her cheek and it only made the bile threaten to rise more.

"Consider yourself lucky, Lucrecia." he whispered into her ear, "You won't remember anything... nothing at all."

"Hojo, you monster..." she muttered, then spit at his face.

Hojo wiped the saliva from his cheek and glared at the woman before him.

"Yes... very lucky, indeed." he sneered.

With that said, he shoved a device shaped like a mask onto her face and walked away laughing like the maniac he is. The farther he walked down the empty hall, the fainter his voice became, but Lucrecia's screams continued on into the night never ceasing until she couldn't remember who she was.

**AN:** I'm so sorry for starting something else. Inspiration struck. And, yes, that will always be my excuse. 


	2. Best Friends

Chapter 1: Best Friends

Tifa and Vincent laughed as they sat on the dying grass on the lawn. Actually, Tifa was laughing and Vincent was just smiling at the joke she told. He never laughed, but Tifa knew that and understood that he really was laughing with her, but in his own, much quieter way.

They'd been friends for as long as they could remember. They'd grown up together in the Nibelheim orphanage ever since Tifa arrived. She was only a little one year old with a mother on the verge of dying, but Vincent was her very first friend. He was only two years old then.

Sure, she had others, but she'd only hang out with Vincent. He never spoke with anyone but her and she just couldn't leave him to be alone. Besides, all of her friends get adopted. But never Vincent. She wondered why. He was smart, athletic (although he never showed it to anyone else) and, she had to admit, not bad looking. At the age of thirteen, he already stood a grand height of five feet and ten inches. His ebony hair went down to the nape of his neck and his pale skin contrasted greatly to it.

"Do you ever wonder why we're never adopted?" Tifa asked her friend unexpectedly. Vincent glanced at her and then looked back to the setting sun. All was silent for a while except for the light breeze softly blowing against them.

"I can't imagine a day without you... you're my best friend." she told Vincent. It was true though. They were the very best of friends. No matter the day, they'd spend it together. When one got sick, the other would stay by their side and help out with anything possible. When one was sad, the other would comfort them.

Yes, they were the very best of friends.

Vincent sighed. "Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without you..." he said, this time looking at Tifa.

The passing moments were spent in silence, but it was not awkward. They were just enjoying each others' company, the knowledge that one day they'll be separated making them need to appreciate the silent connection there.

An hour later, the sun had almost fully set and darkness was approaching.

"It's getting dark, Tifa." Vincent stated, "We should get back to the orphanage."

Tifa nodded and Vincent hoisted her up to her feet by the hand. Together they walked to the simple-looking house they called their home, making small talk here and there, but otherwise in a comfortable silence. When they arrived at Tifa's room, she went on her tip-toes and hugged Vincent tight. Somehow she felt that tomorrow wouldn't be the same and she wanted Vincent to know that, if ever they were separated, that she'd miss him dearly.

"I'll never forget you, Vincent." she told him sincerely. "You're the best friend that I've ever had."

This statement made an air of sadness surround them and Tifa began to cry. Yes, her instincts told her that tomorrow would change everything.

"I won't ever forget you either, Tifa." Vincent whispered, his own throat constricted with the tears that threatened to fall. Softly, he stroked her silky chestnut hair.

Together they stood there until the attendants called for lights out. Tifa let go of Vincent and wiped her eyes.

"Goodnight, Tifa." Vincent said.

"Goodnight, best friend." Tifa said, a genuine smile on her tear-streaked face. She went on her tip-toes again, but this time to give him a kiss on the cheek.

He smiled softly to her before slowly turning on his heel and walking down the hall. Tifa still stood outside her door, tears not falling, but emotions sweeping through her heart.

"Miss Tifa?" a small voice addressed her. Tifa looked down to the little four year old girl before her and knelt down.

"Yes, Marlene?" she answered.

"Why are you crying?" the little girl asked in innocent concern.

"Because I'm sad." Tifa replied while reaching out and stroking Marlene's soft brown hair.

"Why are you sad?" Marlene inquired.

"I don't know..." Tifa said, falling into a state of being far away, but then snapping right out of it immediately.

"It's late." she told Marlene gently. "It's lights out already. Mrs. Macready will be mad if she finds us here."

"Okay, night night." Marlene said. "I hope you feel better in the morning." Then she skipped down the hall to her own room.

Tifa sighed sadly before wiping the tears away and finally entering her pale green room. Something about Vincent and her goodnight felt more like good-bye. And good-bye was just too hard to imagine.


	3. Saying Goodbye

Chapter 2: Saying Goodbye

Her fears of the previous night were confirmed. Everything _was_ changing. Tifa was awoken by Sophia, one of the new care givers at the orphanage, early the next morning.

"Wake up, Miss Lockheart." Sophia whispered while gently shaking Tifa's sleeping form. Tifa abruptly awoke, looking at the blonde woman's young features in confusion after glancing at the clock, which read 4:30 AM.

"What...?" Tifa started, but Sophia smiled sweetly and told her news that devastated her, but warmed her at the same time.

"Honey, you're being adopted!" The young woman exclaimed quietly, as to not wake the other children.

Tifa was paralyzed with shock. So many emotions rushed through her. Happiness, surprise, confusion, fear and then an overwhelming grief. At once she began to cry into her open palms. Sophia was instantly baffled by the 12 year-old's antics.

"Sh... sh... there now." she murmured softly while rubbing Tifa's back slowly, "Why are you crying?"

She obviously didn't know of the strong friendship Tifa and Vincent had. If Mrs. Macready had been the one in Sophia's place, then she'd understand without having to ask. Tifa resented the young blonde at that very moment. She didn't want someone there who didn't understand her. She needed someone who could sympathize with her, not some stupid woman who thought she knew her!

"Leave me alone right now..." Tifa angrily whispered. Sophia's eyes widened at the command, but reciprocated nonetheless. She exited the room to go find Mrs. Macready. She'd know what to do.

Tifa let the tears fall. They rolled down her cheeks and onto her pajama bottoms. Why didn't they ask her first? They should have asked her if she even _wanted_ to be adopted first! There was just so much to lose. Who was adopting her? What if they weren't nice? What about her friends? What about the one person who needed her the most, Vincent?

A few moments later, Mrs. Macready had walked into the room, followed by Vincent, whose face held a strong expression of worry. Sophia stayed at the doorway, realization flooding her features.

"Tifa, your friend, Vincent, is here." Mrs. Macready told the flustered girl before her.

Tifa immediately looked up with tear-filled eyes to Vincent's worried face. He stooped down to hug her tightly, only letting go to sit beside her. Tifa's head hung low as Vincent rubbed her back comfortingly. He'd always been there whenever she was sad, but she'd never cried so hard before.

"Tifa, why are you so sad?" Vincent asked. "You're being adopted." He put on a strained smile to try to convince her that he was happy. In all honesty, he was glad for his best friend, but he was going to miss her dearly and it broke his heart.

"I know I should be happy..." Tifa muttered while sniffling and wiping the tears from her swollen eyes. "But it's too hard to leave you."

Vincent felt the tears rise, but he fought them back. He wanted to show Tifa that he'd be okay. He needed to show her that she'd be all right, too. So he smiled as best he could despite his sadness.

"We'll be all right, Tifa." Vincent said reassuringly, though his voice betrayed him. "One day we'll meet again, okay?"

Tifa looked up at his ruby orbs and he looked into her wine eyes. "Promise?" Tifa asked earnestly, holding out her pinky finger. Vincent took it with his own and as sincerely as he could, he said, "Promise."

Tifa wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and smiled. Vincent smiled, too, but this time it was genuine. Yes, he would keep that promise. He would hold it forever and never let go. He wrapped his long arms around Tifa. She did the same.

"Thank you, Vincent, for being the best friend anyone could ever have." she whispered.

"And thank you Tifa, for being my friend when no one else would." he said in return.

That moment felt like forever. They wanted to stay that way for all eternity, but Tifa had to leave. They finally let go and Vincent rose, holding out his hand to help Tifa up. She took his hand and he pulled her up to her feet. With one last look into his eyes, she walked to Mrs. Macready and Sophia, who were crying from the emotional moment that had just occurred. The elder woman took Tifa's hand and guided her down the hall to meet her new parents.

There were no goodbyes. That one word made it seem final, but if the illusion that maybe this wasn't the last goodbye would help, then they'd rather have it that way.


	4. Leaving

Chapter 3: Leaving

Vincent sat on the orphanage's yellowing lawn. He was watching the sunset, reminiscing. He remembered the girl who left five years ago. His best friend... Tifa.

Like he said the night before she was adopted, he never forgot about her. Everyday he'd sit on the orphanage's lawn and watch the sunset. Sometimes Tifa's little friend, Marlene, would join him, but he'd never speak to her. She was only nine years old and he was seventeen. She wouldn't understand...

Of course, there were the other teenagers there, too, although there were only two others because of how small the orphanage was. He just didn't like speaking with them. One time last year a fifteen year old boy teased him about missing his 'girlfriend'. Vincent had ignored him that time, but when he kept teasing him, Vincent shoved him against the wall and held him by his collar. Luckily for the fifteen year old, Mrs. Macready was outside that day and quickly intervened. She reprimanded Vincent for using force on the other boy and she scolded the other teen for teasing Vincent. Needless to say, Vincent was never bothered again.

Vincent missed Tifa dearly. He thought that the pain would ebb away eventually, but it hadn't weakened for the past years. She was the only friend he had and she was taken away from him. It was ironic that they'd talked about being separated the evening before. It was as if Tifa _knew_ something like that would happen soon. It was inevitable, though, so of course she'd know. He knew, too, he just never liked to think of it.

There was only one year left before he could leave the orphanage. He would be eighteen in October of next year and he couldn't wait for that day. He knew exactly what he'd do after he left. He would search for Tifa. He would keep his promise to her and meet her again. The world is big, he knew, and Tifa could be anywhere, but he'd manage. He knew he would.

A small hand touched Vincent's shoulder and he knew it was Marlene. Some days she'd come, other days she wouldn't.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Marlene asked, gesturing to the sunset while fixing herself beside the older boy. Vincent nodded slightly, not looking at the little girl beside him. That was how it always started.

They sat there in silence for the next while, which was what always happened next. Vincent counted the seconds it took for Marlene to ask her next rhetorical question.

Ten... Eleven... Twelve...

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked for the hundredth time. It was always the same question and it always took her around twelve seconds to ask it.

Marlene knew the answer. It was so obvious that he missed her. She'd never really spoken to this tall teenager before Tifa left, but she wasn't dumb enough to not notice how close they were. Even though Marlene knew the answer, Vincent never acknowledged the question. He ignored her entirely, actually. But she wasn't bothered by this. It made her sad that he never tried to talk with her, but she never pushed anyone to do anything, so she'd always let him be.

By now she'd leave... but not today.

"What will you do when you leave?" Marlene asked.

She expected Vincent to stay silent like he usually did. It was a few moments before, surprisingly, he answered.

He sighed before speaking. "I'm going to look for her."

Marlene smiled and got up. "Well, good luck, Vincent."

Vincent looked up at the little girl curiously. Something about that smile of hers made it seem as if se knew something he didn't. When she skipped off towards the orphanage he just shrugged it off, thinking it was only his imagination playing tricks on him.

He turned his head back towards the horizon. The sun was already almost gone, so he got up and looked back down at the ground. He remembered that he'd always help Tifa up, but those days were long gone. Sighing, he shoved his hands in his black jeans and walked back into the orphanage. Right when he got in, Mrs. Macready rushed to him.

"Vincent, my dear, you're going to leave early." she said, knowing that this news would bring his spirits up greatly.

"...Why?" he asked. "The law says that I can't leave until I'm an adult, which is when I'm eighteen years old. You said so yourself."

Mrs. Macready chuckled. "You've always been one for doing the right things, Vincent. We'll be missing you."

Vincent was silent. But then it hit him. He was being _adopted_. Why though? He was already so old that no one should want him.

"Who is it?" he asked, but there was no need because right at that moment a short man in a slightly wrinkled suit walked in. He was short with long black hair, skin almost as wrinkled as his suit and glasses with very thick lenses. For whatever reason, Vincent despised the man thoroughly right when he saw him. There was just... something wrong about the way he looked at him.

"This here is your new parent as of today." Mrs. Macready announced, gesturing to the man who was now standing next to her. He was very short compared to Vincent, who was six feet now.

"Hello, Vincent. My name's Jason." He greeted while holding his hand out to the much taller and younger man before him. Vincent eyed the hand skeptically, but didn't take it. Mrs. Macready gave Vincent a reprimanding look but he still didn't take the offered hand. Jason smiled with malice before withdrawing his hand.

"I'm sorry, but Vincent's just been through some... events." Mrs. Macready explained, noticing the warning look Vincent gave her.

"Ah, I see." Jason said, "Hard times, eh?" Vincent didn't answer him, though. He just glared at the man, his eyes attempting to burn a hole through his chest. He didn't trust this man, but with the looks of it, the required documents and such were already finalized and there was no turning back now.

"I'll go pack..." Vincent muttered, failing to burn the desired hole in Jason's chest, and left to his room.

Yes, he did want to leave the orphanage as soon as possible, but not with this man. There was just something terribly wrong going on with that man. He said nothing though, even as his bags were packed and he was exiting the orphanage doors for the last time.

His bags were small for he owned very little except for clothes, books and a couple of pictures of him and Tifa. Jason opened the car's black door for Vincent. He hesitantly entered the small car and sat on the grey leather seats. Jason slammed the door shut and got in the front seat to start the car. Without a word he drove out of the Nibelheim Orphanage's parking lot, sneering. Oh, how easy it was to acquire his latest subject...


	5. Traveling

**Chapter 4: Traveling**

"Why'd you adopt me?" Vincent finally asked after a long while. He'd been trying to glare holes through Jason's back throughout the long car drive, but to no avail. The car ride had already been a few hours and Vincent was starting to wonder where exactly this man was taking him. Although Vincent was drowsy, he stayed awake, not trusting Jason.

"Why would anybody adopt a child?" Was Jason's reply. Answering a question with a question. Damn him...

"Because they want to." muttered Vincent. It was all that Vincent could think of at the moment. He was too busy trying to recognize their location.

When he looked to the left horizon and right horizon, he saw the sea. What was near the sea? He tried to remember the map at the orphanage. Cosmo Canyon and Gongaga were close enough, but he knew there wouldn't be water on opposite horizons. Maybe they were at Rocket Town? No, it would be too close to have to drive for hours. Then where were they? Vincent racked his brains for the answer, but by the time he'd found it, it was dawn and they'd already arrived. Costa Del Sol.

Jason got out of the black car and slammed the driver's door. Vincent followed suit.

"Where are we?" Vincent asked, just to make sure.

"Costa Del Sol." was the shorter man's answer. He didn't seem too interested with Vincent. It seemed as if he was ignoring him and it bothered Vincent. When someone adopts a child, shouldn't they be caring for them or at least appear to look like they care for them? No... something wasn't right with this man at all.

"Is this where you live?" Vincent inquired.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Jason asked, not answering Vincent's question. He'd already started to walk in a quick pace down the street and Vincent kept in stride easily with his long legs.

"You didn't seem too keen on talking to me before. Why start now?" Jason continued.

"I'd just like to know these things..." Vincent muttered.

Silence ensued. They walked on down the road and past resorts. Jason completely ignored Vincent the whole way, concentrated on his destination. Finally they came to a small beach house with a few docks. Most of the docks were empty, but one dock had a boat left.

They both entered the beach house, which was surprisingly open during the early hours of dawn. It was occupied with only one sleeping man at the desk. Jason strode to the front desk and tapped the bell impatiently. Immediately the round man awoke from his snore-fest and came to full attention.

"Hello." He said gruffly, "Welcome to Costa Del Sol boats..."

"Yes, yes, that's nice. I need to use your last boat out there to go to Midgar." Jason cut the other man off and got to the point quickly.

The chubby man before him glanced out the window at the docks and said, "I'm sorry, but that one's reserved."

"Well then move the reservation and make space for us!" Jason commanded while gesturing to himself and Vincent.

"Look, dude, you can't just barge in here and order me around!" The receptionist exclaimed, now standing up. He wasn't much taller than Jason.

Jason just smirked at the other man and leaned on the counter so their proximity was closer. "Do you remember Gary?boat" he whispered dangerously. His voice was too low for Vincent to hear, but the male receptionist heard him fine. He visibly paled and gulped, knowing full well what happened to his friend, Gary, for not following through with one of their customers' orders.

"O-okay... Ju-just wait for a m-moment there." he stuttered, clearly nervous now. No, he didn't want to have Gary's fate. Jason sneered at his success and at the man's cowardice.

"ANNA!" the man hollered after typing away on the keyboard for a few minutes. An even shorter girl in shorts and a bikini top promptly arrived from the back of the beach house.

"Yeah, Marty?" she said.

"Take these two men on a boat ride to Midgar." the receptionist, Marty, said.

"But..." Anna started, but Marty shook his head and gestured with his hand that she shouldn't disagree. "Okay..."

She turned around to face Vincent and Jason and gestured for them to follow her out. They did so and came to the boat at the dock. Without any conversation they mounted the steps onto the red sea vehicle.

"Why're you guys goin' to Midgar?" Anna inquired while preparing the boat to leave. Vincent glanced at Jason, but it seemed as if he wasn't going to answer. After a few moments of silence, Anna shook off the fact that she was being ignored.

"Midgar's my home town, y'know." she informed them, although it did nothing to stir conversation. Sighing, she started the boat's engine.

"We'll be there by noon." she yelled over the roar of the engine and then no one spoke afterwards.

The sky was still dark even as the sun rose from the horizon, and the sea was calm enough for a short boat ride. It was silent throughout the following hours. Vincent always stayed far from Jason, but he'd always be close enough to keep an eye on the short man. He was just so suspicious of him. There seemed to be this dark aura surrounding Jason that Vincent couldn't ignore. He noticed how the man's expression was that of someone triumphant. What he triumphed in, Vincent did not know. He also wasn't sure if he wanted to know...

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It was already noon by the time they arrived at Midgar. It was smooth sailing during the whole boat ride with the exception of a light drizzle during the middle of the morning. Jason and Vincent went off the boat and began to walk away. Vincent wondered why Jason didn't pay the girl who brought them here.

"Hey, you!" Anna yelled out. Jason paid her no attention and continued to walk.

"Pay her." Vincent said firmly. This wasn't right. They shouldn't force the receptionist to change the reservations and then not pay the sailor. Who did this man think he was?

"Look, _son_," Jason said, spitting out the word like it was something vile, "when you have priorities like I do, you'll see that you don't have to pay. Got it?"

Vincent stopped walking. Jason noticed this and spun around to face him. He had a twinkle in his eye that gave him a sinister look. But Vincent didn't back down. No matter how much he could seem like he didn't care, inside he truly did. This wasn't right and he wasn't going to ignore it.

"You've made those people do things for us that they didn't have to do." he said. "I don't know what you told that receptionist, but it sure as hell got you what you wanted, so go over there and pay her!" His voice was in a risen tone and there was a look of defiance in his eyes. Jason brought out the talkative side of Vincent, it would seem.

Jason looked like he was about to hit Vincent, but he clenched his fist and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he had this malicious sneer on his face. "Okay." was all he said before stalking off to the boat they had just ridden. Vincent watched as the short man ascended the steps and approached the angry woman aboard. They spoke for a few seconds before going into the cabin. After that, Vincent couldn't see anything that happened, but when Jason came out, he was alone. Somehow, Vincent didn't think that anything good conspired during the time they were in the cabin.

When Jason returned he waved his hand to Vincent in a gesture for him to follow. But Vincent didn't move.

"What did you do?" Vincent asked accusingly. Jason stopped again and turned around.

"What do you mean?" he asked as innocently as possible.

"What happened to the sailor?" Vincent asked more specifically and with more accusation than before.

"I merely paid her the sum required." Jason replied, "Now follow me."

Vincent glared at the older man's retreating back before turning around and looking at the boat. It was now drifting into sea, but something still seemed wrong. Vincent worriedly took a last glance at the boat before following Jason. Little did he know that Anna, the poor girl, was sprawled on the cabin floor, dead and poison shooting through her veins.


	6. The Island

Chapter 5: The Island

Jason hurriedly guided Vincent through the Midgar streets. He'd check his wrist watch every so often as if he couldn't afford to be late. Vincent wasn't struggling to keep up with him at all, though his mind was still stuck on the woman on the boat. Something certainly wasn't right with his adoptive "father", if that's what he could be called...

"Where are we going?" Vincent inquired while keeping up to Jason's quick pace.

"You'll see." muttered the bespectacled man vaguely.

Vincent furrowed his brow at the answer. No, he wanted a clear and concise reply. He stopped walking. Jason, noticing the sudden disappearance of the tall raven-haired teenager, quickly turned on his heel and faced Vincent.

"Why are you stopping again, hm?" He asked in an annoyed manner. It seemed that his patience was running thin and the already very sinister look in his eye seemed to be much more dangerous.

"Tell me where you're going _now_." Vincent forcefully commanded. His rising anger didn't seem to phase the man opposite him on the busy city streets, though. He merely sneered as he did when Vincent told him to pay the female sailor.

"We're going to where I live." was his answer. It wasn't good enough though. Vincent figured that much out already and he didn't need information he already knew.

Jason noticed how Vincent refused to follow him. He couldn't afford to lose him, though, so he decided that vague and mysterious wasn't going to help him accomplish anything.

Sighing in mock defeat, he said, "We're going to an island up north."

Vincent glared suspiciously at the small man before reluctantly recommencing in following him. An island up north was something he could think about, so during the following moments of walking, he tried to think of northern islands. He could only think of two places that were pretty much inhabitable from what his teachers had taught him. Maybe it was the northern continent where the Icicle Inn was located. Somehow he doubted that...

They turned a corner to a more empty space where there was a medium sized, one story, windowless building and a row of aircrafts. They were at an aircraft strip. Jason gestured for Vincent to continue following him even though there really was no need. The entrance of the building was locked when they arrived at the door, though. Jason growled impatiently before jabbing the intercom button. It took a while before a reply came from the tiny speaker.

"AirCurrent Aircrafts, how may we help you?" came the scratchy male voice.

"I need a plane." Jason stated simply.

"State your name and stand in front of the camera."

Jason rolled his eyes and jabbed the intercom buzzer stating only his first name and stepping into the view of the security camera. He glared at the small lens that just stared back at him.

"Oh, sorry, sir. It's you."

There was a buzzing sound before the door lock clicked open. Jason yanked it open and told Vincent to go inside. Vincent did so without a word and Jason followed right behind him. The interior of the AirCurret Aircrafts building was very plain. There was the entrance and a door on the opposite side of a narrow hallway. Down the hallway was a room with only a few chairs and a counter where a tall woman in a white blouse and a black skirt sat. Vincent and Jason went to the counter.

"I'm so sorry Jason, but it's been at least five years since you've been here and you know how nosy those ShinRa workers are." the woman explained, "We've had to tighten security and even use a voice warper to make me sound like a man."

Jason smirked and waved it off. "Just get me my usual aircraft and I'll be off."

The woman nodded and typed away at her computer. While she did this, Vincent contemplated some things.

_Five years..._

How very coincidental that Tifa should be adopted five years ago and that Jason came here at least five years ago... Vincent shook off the thought. It was what he thought it... Just a coincident. He had doubts, though.

The woman was finished processing the information. She nodded at Jason while giving him a paper. The man thanked her before leaning over the counter.

"Spill a word to Shinra and you'll pay the consequences." He whispered maliciously. Vincent only heard the name Shinra, but the cruel and dangerous look on his adopter's face chilled him.

The woman glanced fearfully at Jason, then looked away nodding furiously. She knew very well what the consequences were and she didn't intend to fall victim to them. No, she'd definitely stay quiet about this sinister man. Her life depended on it anyway. Jason was satisfied with this, and after one last malicious glance at the frightened woman, he walked back down the hall. Vincent hesitated following him and looked at the woman. She was silent, but he was certain that she was petrified.

"What are you waiting for, boy? Follow me!" Jason snapped at him from the end of the hall, his hand on the handle of the door opposite the entrance. He was getting impatient with Vincent's defiance and hesitation. He knew the boy was beginning to suspect him, so if they did things quickly, he wouldn't have to worry about him escaping.

Vincent wasn't phased by the sudden sharpness of the older man's voice. Although he didn't wish to follow him, he did so anyway. Something pulled him to this place they were going to. He felt as if a promise would be fulfilled if he went. No matter how sinister Jason's intentions seemed, he needed to follow him. So it was decided... he wouldn't hesitate anymore. He would go and find the promise he was looking for. With this decision, he walked confidently down the hall. And he knew he was diving head first into danger.

Jason smirked. He would get his next subject after all. Once Vincent arrived by his side, he opened the door and they came to a black room. Jason flipped a light switch and giant lights flickered on. The room was actually a large garage containing one jet. Vincent followed Jason to it and they both boarded the aircraft, which seemed to be smaller than the ones outside. Jason started the engines and the garage door began to open, revealing the daylight outside. He waited a few moments for the engines to warm up before setting the jet in motion. It moved forward, rolling out of the garage and onto a track. It gained speed. Faster and faster it went until it finally shot off the land and into the sky. Vincent found this experience exhilarating since he'd never been on a plane, but he was less thrilled since he was with Jason, who he now loathed to no end.

The minutes went by in silence. Before, Vincent could see the outlines of land on the horizon, but now they were flying over an endless expanse of blue. The beauty of the sea enraptured Vincent. It seemed like it could go on forever...

He looked at the short man, who was now concentrating on flying the speedy aircraft. Vincent wondered how Jason knew how to fly a jet. What was his profession? Where did he come from? What did he intend to do with him? There were so many questions to ask, but none could be answered... at least, for the moment.

It was nearing an hour of flight when Vincent saw a strange mist on the horizon. It was then that he noticed how the sky got darker the closer they came to the strange mist. It seemed that a storm was approaching, but Vincent said nothing.

Ten minutes passed and they were now very close to the mysterious fog, and the clouds were now as grey as ever. They entered the fog and there seemed to be a certain turbulence. The jet was now shaking and Vincent was getting nervous. All around was a sinister grey, like an empty space. But something dangerous was lingering in the grey void around... and it was coming.

Jason was not at all phased by the circumstances. He actually seemed quite confident in the fog. He actually looked more at ease than he had been throughout their whole journey. Vincent took this as a bad sign and prepared himself.

The shaking became more violent and still Jason was at ease. Vincent was holding on to the armrests of the seat. His knuckles were whiter than usual and his brow was perspiring. He could have sworn that he saw a pair of eyes through the fog... And what was that? He thought he saw a movement, like a flapping of wings, but the creature who produced it was not visible. All this shock was causing Vincent to panic, but he forced himself to calm down. They're only birds, he told himself.

After what seemed like forever, they emerged from the fog to an island. The dark grey clouds swirled over the small piece of land. This was the place that they gathered. All that could be seen on the island were trees, but with his keen eyesight, Vincent spotted a white building in the distance. It was just a small bit of it that he saw, but he was certain that it was there.

The jet was descending onto the beach where a man in a dirty lab coat stood. Sand was blowing everywhere as the jet neared the beach, but he didn't seem to care whether it got on him or if the salty waves hit his black shoes. He seemed to be frozen.

When the aircraft landed and Vincent and Jason could get off, the man was fully visible. He had dark hair and his lab coat looked like it hadn't been washed in years. That wasn't what mattered to Vincent, though. What intrigued the seventeen year old was that while he approached the aircraft, he moved like a zombie; slow and lifeless. When he was close enough to see his eyes, they were empty pools of white.

The zombie-like man seemed to know what he was doing as he shuffled over to the aircraft. He climbed into the jet and waited for Jason and Vincent to leave the vicinity. Jason was starting to walk away already, but then he noticed how Vincent was entranced by how lifeless the man was. He impatiently strode over there and harshly grabbed the teenager's wrist. He yanked him over into the forest and once they were far enough from the aircraft, it set off up into the air, flying towards somewhere on the island. Once it was out of view, Vincent felt as if his only means of escape had been snatched away from him. He was trapped.

The silence of the forest was unnerving. Vincent was frozen while Jason studied him. Yes, he would serve as a very good experiment.


	7. Father, Son

**Chapter 6: Father, Son**

"I'm surprised, Vincent." Vincent got startled by the usage of his name. Jason hadn't ever used it until now.

"Why should you be?" he asked, his intuition telling him that what was to come was not at all pleasant.

Jason sneered. "They're usually unconscious by now" he said, "but you haven't even panicked, yet."

Jason's words were disturbing Vincent. Who are 'they'? Before he could ask another question, Jason was walking away into the forest. Vincent contemplated what was worse: going with this creepy man or staying in the dark forest. A low growl and a glimpse of red eyes in the shadows finalized his decision and he quickly strode over to Jason.

"What are you talking about?" Vincent asked, a tone of worry in his voice, "Who are they?"

Jason chuckled in his usual malicious way, though he offered no answer. Instead, he gave more vague and mysterious comments that severely disturbed Vincent. He was beginning to wonder if maybe staying in the forest and away from Jason would be the better choice... But the short man seemed to know where he was going and would certainly find him should he dare to escape, right? And those creatures he kept getting glimpses of... No, he wouldn't stay out here.

"You can't escape me, Vincent." Jason said as if reading his mind, "We're far away from any civilization... In fact, this island isn't even located on any map."

With this revealed, Vincent became even more frightened. This information just sealed away any chance of escape and now he realized just how foolish he was to follow his adopter. The feeling of promise was slowly being pushed down beneath the fearful and perilous feelings he had now, disappearing behind them and being smothered entirely.

The eerie silence that followed was unbearable, but Vincent dared not to speak. It seemed as if this whole island was dead except for the lush greenery. It was then that Vincent noticed just how healthy the trees and plants looked and he wondered how the soil could be so fertile if there was virtually nothing alive about this place.

He was shaken from his thoughts when they approached the building that he'd noticed while they were still in the jet. It looked like it was once a white building, but the years discolored and worn it out. It had no windows, but it had a glass dome on its roof. There was only one floor, but Vincent had a feeling that there was much more to the building below the ground.

They were now entering the building. The room that they entered was square in shape and had a low roof. There were only two window-less doors that stood side by side opposite the ones that they'd come through. There was also a pad on the wall beside the doors and a keyboard beneath it. Jason approached the pad and lay his right hand on it. It immediately gave off a green glow as it identified the hand. When it was finished, it gave a beep and Jason began to type something on the keyboard. There came another beep and the doors' lock released. Jason opened the door and they walked into a room that was pitch black.

Vincent found that he was frozen. He couldn't move his body at all. The inky blackness that he was surrounded in paralyzed him with fear. He knew not of what was beyond where he stood. His breaths were shallow and the silence around wasn't reassuring. Suddenly, he heard the patter of footsteps and something flicking on. Lights illuminated the blackness and momentarily blinded Vincent. Though the darkness was gone, he wasn't so sure if what he saw was any better.

In the room were many scientific instruments. There was a large computer screen on a wall and many panels of buttons beneath it. There was a large cylindrical instrument laying on its side while supported by a metal base. Then Vincent saw a metal bed-like structure that had leather straps and metal cuffs on it. Beside it was a device like a mask, melded into the general structure of the human face, that was connected to a whirring machine by many wires. What caught his eye, though, were the large cylindrical tubes that contained bubbling green liquid. Inside those strange tubes were blob-like shapes that weren't distinguishable, though Vincent swore that they resembled fetuses.

"Like my experiments?" Jason sneered, noticing Vincent's horrified expression. Vincent turned his eyes to the short man.

"What are you doing with them?" he asked, pointing at the green tubes. He'd been through any shocking events lately, but this was the strangest and most disgusting thing he'd seen so far. Even though he didn't know exactly what it was he was looking at, he knew that they were not made by nature's will.

Jason laughed and stalked away down a corridor and disappeared into a room. He came back out a few minutes later, his suit replaced by a lab coat and his medium length black hair in a pony tail. He had his usual creepy smile, but the sinister sparkle of triumph and cruelty gleamed even brighter in his eyes.

Vincent became even more fearful of the man before him. The danger was now more prominent to him and he knew that if he didn't act quickly, he'd fall into the hands of a madman. He surveyed his surroundings. Behind him was the pair of doors that they'd come in through earlier. Ahead of him was the hall that Jason emerged from in his new attire. There were no other escapes. Vincent turned quickly to the doors behind him and tried to pry them open, but they were fast shut.

Jason chuckled menacingly. "Oh, Vincent, how amusing you are!" he exclaimed. "I told you, there's no escape."

Vincent heard the older man's words and felt a wave of terror was over him. He knew what he said was true, but he was determined to escape. With his long legs, he bolted down the dark hall before him.

"There's no where to go that way, my boy!" Jason called to the running teenager. His voice echoed down the hall and rang in Vincent's ears. His taunting words just motivated Vincent's will to run, though, and he picked up the speed, urging himself to move on.

Vincent was running blindly through darkness. He didn't know how long or how far he ran, but the hall seemed endless. He continued to run silently except for the echo of his footsteps and the sound of his heavy breathing. When it seemed that he'd be forever trapped in the dark hall, a ray of light came into view. Full of hope, Vincent pushed himself to run faster. He slowed down when he believed himself to be close enough to the light.

He walked into the center of the light and looked up. He saw a small window on the ceiling, but it was too high for him to reach. Ruling out that point of escape, he looked around him. There was no other way to go except down a flight of stairs. He contemplated whether going down there was better than going back down the hall he'd come from, but the reminder of the menacing madman down that path made Vincent choose the stairs. He had entered the unknown once again.

He was calmer now, but Vincent's panic and fear hadn't left him. The silence was suffocating on this island. The feelings of dread, despair and hopelessness all washed upon him at once, smothering him under their black waves. By now he was wandering down the staircase to God knows where. The inky blackness below him was almost as forbidding as going back, yet still Vincent pressed on. He heard muffled sounds, but Vincent was too dazed to notice, the adrenaline rush long gone. It was only when he came to the landing that he realized that something was indeed alive on this island.

Vincent noticed a screen to his right on the wall. There were many screens, actually, but they were all blank and full of dust. He spotted a pad of switches, but nothing else. Trying to ignore the sounds beyond the large and foreboding metal door, Vincent approached the pad and flipped on each switch, curious to see what would come onto the screen, yet dreading what would appear, as well. They all glowed white for a while and this momentarily dazed Vincent since the only source of light on the landing was a dim, flickering pot light.

Once Vincent regained his vision, he saw something so hideous and horrible that it made him wretch right then and there.

'What the fuck is that?' he thought incredulously with the utmost disgust.

Though the image quality was low, Vincent could still clearly make out three figures crouched over a human. They, too, possessed the form of a human, though contorted in some ways. Their fingers were long and crooked-like and they seemed to have quite sharp claws. Their faces were elongated both from the chin and the nose, giving a severe and hawk-like appearance. Even with the bad quality, Vincent could see the bones poking through their skin, especially the nubs protruding from their upper backs. But it was not their deformed bodies that disgusted Vincent so -- it was what they were doing to the human.

The human was not alive... No, not alive at all. It was a corpse now. A corpse so bloody and ruined that you couldn't tell who they were or how they looked like anymore. The three humanoid creatures crouched over it were _eating_ the flesh and meat of the dead body before them, scraping the extras from the bones and ripping out its internal organs. Their hands and fronts were all bloody and gory, and their mouths were smeared with the red substance. They looked ravenous, as if they hadn't eaten in days... Maybe even months.

Vincent never noticed the footsteps coming from behind him until their owner spoke.

"I see that you've found my experiments." Jason said, a note of pride in his voice. "The successful ones, at least."

Vincent said nothing, staring at the ghastly image before him. It was like one of the horror movies he'd watch at the orphanage with Tifa, only a hundred times worse and a million times grosser. It was not just an image on a screen, Vincent knew. Oh, it was real, all right.

"Aren't they glorious?" the crazed man beside him sighed as if talking about a masterpiece of art.

Vincent shuddered. "_This_ is what you do for a living?" he asked hysterically, jabbing his finger at the screen. "You make these... these... THINGS?" He practically shouted.

Jason chuckled and responded in a low voice. "Now, now Vincent. We mustn't make much noise." He seemed out of his wits, staring at his 'successes' with glassy eyes.

"These are my lovely demons." He explained in a dreamy voice, "Creatures that belong to Hell, but I made them. I created them myself.

"I'm a father, you see, Vincent?" Jason turned to face the said boy. "I'm your father now, and you'll love me. You'll love me because you won't remember anything and they'll tell you about how great I am and that I saved you all from death...

"Because that's all they know now. They only know of Professor Hojo, their father and savior."

Those were the last words Vincent heard before feeling a sharp sting in his abdomen. He looked down to see a long and sharp needle injecting liquid into his body. A sudden wave of tiredness fell over him and he faded into the darkness all around.


End file.
